A Year in the Life of an English Country Garden - 2016 - The End

[Ed Sutton]

I do like the raindrops on web picture.

 

[jennyb]

Thanks, Dave.

 

[jennyb]

I think I am back on track this week after struggling last week. It has really put me off balance, trying to use different software for post-processing but I think I am getting a little bit better with Lightroom. This week I processed all the photos first with my usual DPP then paintshop, then I did them again with Lightroom and paintshop. I compared the results and in general prefer the ones processed in Lightroom.

Firstly, I saw this chap having a bath in our newly installed fountain. Unfortunately, I only had my point and shoot handy. I would have preferred the background to be more blurred but I didn't have time to change the lens on my DSLR. The background is very distracting. I will try to take another one with my long lens if I see the pigeon on there again.

Next a few shots by the pond. There are just a couple of these bulrushes and it is difficult to shoot when they are swaying in the wind. I am happy with this shot except for the few distracting leaves in the background.

When I mentioned a few weeks ago about certain creatures that are not welcome in my garden, I forgot to mention this one. It is another very destructive foreign interloper. They are wiping out our native population of crayfish. Yes, the American Signal Crayfish. It is not easy to photograph them, so I am including a couple of shots.

Finally, a couple of flower photos. A lot of the flowers are fading but these two are going strong and brighten up the garden. The yellow clematis has romped over everything in its path.

I love the intricacy and colour of the Caryopteris.

After a sweltering few weeks, yesterday's storms (pretty impressive) have watered everything and brought down the temperature to a more normal autumn.

Comments very welcome.

 

[Cloudforest]

It's a joy to keep coming back to your thread Jenny and I really like the two flower images immediately above. I love the composition of the dahlia image too (the one following the rainy web).
I photograph a lot of flowers and I'm always looking for different ways to portray them. Maybe I should turn it into a project for this site.

Have fun learning Lightroom.

 

[jennyb]

It's a joy to keep coming back to your thread Jenny and I really like the two flower images immediately above. I love the composition of the dahlia image too (the one following the rainy web).
I photograph a lot of flowers and I'm always looking for different ways to portray them. Maybe I should turn it into a project for this site.

Have fun learning Lightroom.

Thanks, for your comments, Pete. I have found that having an official "project" focuses my mind and gets me out there photographing things. I am constantly trying to find new angles or subjects, so it is a great way to gain experience. A flower project would be interesting. Go for it!

 

[jennyb]

Not much going on in the garden at the moment. The most activity comes from the squirrels who are hyper running back and forth picking up acorns and hiding them. I have not managed a photo yet.

When I did this project in 2010 and printed the book, I gave copies to a few family and friends. One of the comments about the book was that there were no photos of the gardeners who do all the hard work in the garden. Since that time, we have retired and maintain the garden ourselves apart from the bigger landscaping jobs and some of the more specialised things. So, this time I thought I should include one of the gardeners (OH). This shot would have been better if he had been wearing a pair of Monty Don style dungarees, but he doesn't have any.

I rather like the next shot because the light was good and I noticed that the sun was shining through the wheelbarrow wheel, matching the colour of the flowers in the background.

A roe deer buck has been hanging around quite a lot recently. We have hardly seen any roe all summer which is unusual. Normally we see some fawns at the end of May, but nothing this year, sadly. This guy was asleep on the front lawn early the other morning. The light was bad so the next couple of photos are not particularly good.

It did not take much to wake him up.

He was down by the pond today. This photo gives him some scale and shows just how small they are.

The Hypericum has been flowering all summer and is still going strong. Unfortunately, I did not manage to get it all in focus, but I find the intricacy fascinating.

Finally, there was a really glorious sunny morning a few days ago with wonderful light. There was mist hanging in the valley but by the time I had got my camera, much of it had dispersed.

This photo is similar to the one I took in April but comparing them, they are quite different. In April there were no leaves on the trees.

Comments very welcome.

 

[jennyb]

I have had trouble with light this week - either too much of it or too little. The problem with a project like this is you have to take the photos when you see them rather than wait for the best light conditions. So for the first one, a nuthatch, the sun was too harsh. I will try to get another shot when the conditions are better, but here it is anyway.

The next shot was really taken from too far away and is a very heavy crop. However, I am posting it anyway because they are so elusive I may not get another one. A wren.

The next was a problem with too little light. It was very dark and stormy when I took it with a very high ISO. This chap is still hanging around, mostly eating the blackberries.

The next one was quite amusing. It was early morning and very dull and grey, so again high ISO. The baby muntjac that I photographed earlier in the year is now an adolescent (probably around 9 months old) and Mum allows it to roam on its own. Underneath the bird feeders is the domain of the resident pheasant who chases off all intruders except for the little ground feeding birds. The young muntjac thought he would have a poke around under the feeders to hoover up some seed and the pheasant took a look at him and decided that maybe he was too big to chase away. The muntjac looked at the pheasant and couldn't quite decide who or what it was. This is the confrontation...

Sadly I could not get enough DOF to get the pheasant in sharp focus but I thought it was an amusing shot.

The muntjac decided maybe he should leave the pheasant alone and went off to rummage in the flowerbeds. Here he is again (also high ISO).

They really are a menace, but very cute when they are young.

Finally, I have been picking blackberries regularly for the last few weeks. The freezer is nearly full of them. They grow wild over the fence but they are now just about finished.

Comments very welcome. I hope I can get better light next week.

 

[Ed Sutton]

You've done well to get any photograph of a wren, Jenny (pun intended!). They're wick little birds.

I like the blackberry picture. Such a simple looking subject that I've never made a good job of photographing.

 

[jennyb]

You've done well to get any photograph of a wren, Jenny (pun intended!). They're wick little birds.

I like the blackberry picture. Such a simple looking subject that I've never made a good job of photographing.

Thanks, Dave. You are right about the wrens. I have never managed a good one. Blackberries are not particularly easy either but I just concentrated on getting the black one in focus on this occasion.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Blackberries are not particularly easy either but I just concentrated on getting the black one in focus on this occasion.

Now I look closer at it I think that's why the picture works. The one really black berry (I know they're not actually berries) is sharp and stands out because the red ones are more numerous and slightly out of focus. I'll try to remember that!

 

[jennyb]

Now I look closer at it I think that's why the picture works. The one really black berry (I know they're not actually berries) is sharp and stands out because the red ones are more numerous and slightly out of focus. I'll try to remember that!

Interesting point. I took quite a few shots and this was the only one that worked, but I didn't know why! I did know that I could not get enough DOF to get them all in focus.

 

[richietaylor]

Some truly incredible photographs. What a wonderful garden you have!

 

[jennyb]

Some truly incredible photographs. What a wonderful garden you have!

Thank you for your comments, Richie. Glad you like the photos.

 

[jennyb]

Well, I was not planning to post again so soon but we had such a beautiful sunrise this morning that I felt I had to post these. Sunrise was officially 7.09 here and I took a series of shots (of the same view but with varying degrees of zoom) over a period of about an hour starting just before sunrise.

06.51

07.15

07.26

07.42

The sunrises are one of the best things about autumn - colourful, misty and glowing. These colours are pretty much how they came out of the camera.

 

[Harlequin565]

I remember seeing these sorts of shots in your last garden thread... I dread to think how long ago that was - seems like 5 minutes...

Just looking at these beautiful sunrises makes me wonder how it would pull together as a timelapse? The difference in pov from the 1st to last shot make interesting subjects. A short timelapse of sunrise, but adding a slight twist to the zoom with each (5th?) shot to slowly pull out from your zoomed first shot and end with the last would be really cool to see. I could imagine that watching that sky change colour would be quite mesmerising because there are some lovely colours in these photographs.

Either way - enjoying the thread. Keep it up!

 

[jennyb]

I remember seeing these sorts of shots in your last garden thread... I dread to think how long ago that was - seems like 5 minutes...

Just looking at these beautiful sunrises makes me wonder how it would pull together as a timelapse? The difference in pov from the 1st to last shot make interesting subjects. A short timelapse of sunrise, but adding a slight twist to the zoom with each (5th?) shot to slowly pull out from your zoomed first shot and end with the last would be really cool to see. I could imagine that watching that sky change colour would be quite mesmerising because there are some lovely colours in these photographs.

Either way - enjoying the thread. Keep it up!

Hi, Ian - it was 6 years ago actually! Glad you are enjoying it this time around.

What a fantastic idea about the timelapse The only problem I have is that these shots were taken hanging out of my bedroom window. I would need to find a spot where I can set up my tripod to keep the camera in the same position. Unfortunately, our windows don't open far enough to easily set up a tripod without a restricted view. The view from ground level is not quite so impressive. It needs that bit of height.

I will check out all the windows tomorrow to see if that setup would work with any of them. Many thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Harlequin565]

these shots were taken hanging out of my bedroom window

Make sure you stay safe!

 

[jennyb]

I am posting a bit earlier this week because I have a very busy weekend ahead and won't have any spare time. Autumn seems to have finally started and the leaves have been falling like snow. It will soon be time to start sweeping them up.

Firstly, I got a better shot of the Red Admiral that has been hanging around here all week.

The Dahlias are still going strong. I don't think I posted a shot of the white one before.

Not happy with the next picture but I wanted to post it anyway because these bright red dahlias are making a beautiful display. Sadly, I could not get a decent angle to take the shot.

There are plenty of berries around for the birds. These are sloes (not happy with this shot either but did not have time to experiment).

Masses of Holly berries.

Ditto, hawthorn.

Comments/suggestions welcome.

 

[Ladystrange]

I've just started full time work for the first time in ages so not able to get on here very much at the minute!

This is always my first stop though, I love your photos Jenny, they really do brighten the day I love the latest added.

 

[jennyb]

I've just started full time work for the first time in ages so not able to get on here very much at the minute!

This is always my first stop though, I love your photos Jenny, they really do brighten the day I love the latest added.

Thanks for your comments, Claire. Hope the job is going well.

 

[jennyb]

Big problem with time this week - away for a few days and also lots of visitors. So, not many photos.

Autumn is starting to become more autumnal. I have never seen the leaves so green so late in the year. Hardly any have dropped and they are only just starting to change colour in the last couple of days.

I was weeding the Heuchera flower bed the other day and found this little chap. He was not too enthusiastic about being photographed, so the shot is nothing special.

Next, also in the Heuchera bed, I found this caterpillar. I took a couple of shots trying to get as much detail as possible. He looked beautiful on the purple Heuchera leaves.The red tuft is the tail end!

I also saw a Grey Wagtail (which is yellow) this week but sadly did not manage a photo.

Hopefully, I will have more time for this project next week.

Comments, as usual, welcome.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I'm not sure which of the caterpillar pictures I like best, the leaf really sets its colours off well in both of them.

You're right about the leaves starting to turn, even up here there's still a lot of green to be seen.

 

[jennyb]

I'm not sure which of the caterpillar pictures I like best, the leaf really sets its colours off well in both of them.

You're right about the leaves starting to turn, even up here there's still a lot of green to be seen.

Thanks for your comments, Dave. I couldn't decide on the caterpillar shots either so that's why I posted both. It was a very intricate little thing with black lines between the segments, spots on the segments, not to mention the tufts of hair! It took a while to figure out which end was which!

 

[susiejb]

Hi Jenny, I've just had a major catch up on your thread, such a variety of shots, many of them absolute stunners. I really like the way you label the flowers and I've put a name to quite a few that I admire but don't know the name. Your photos are a celebration of nature and beauty, a real pleasure to look at.

 

[jennyb]

Hi Jenny, I've just had a major catch up on your thread, such a variety of shots, many of them absolute stunners. I really like the way you label the flowers and I've put a name to quite a few that I admire but don't know the name. Your photos are a celebration of nature and beauty, a real pleasure to look at.

I really appreciate your comments, Susie @susiejb and so glad you like my shots. Being under pressure to record most things that I see, I don't really have the luxury of waiting for the right light or conditions. So, the shots can be a bit hit and miss, but I am happy with many of them.

 

[Ladystrange]

Thanks for your comments, Claire. Hope the job is going well.

Thanks Jenny, yes it's going well, good to be working and earning again!! It just cuts into time I would have spent catching up on the site though and getting out to photograph.

Love the latest additions, the caterpillar is fantastic, so colourful Great capture too of the toad, he looks like a grumpy wee thing LOL. I've tried to get photos of the wagtails too, they never stop moving though and are so small!! We'll keep trying though.

 

[jennyb]

Thanks Jenny, yes it's going well, good to be working and earning again!! It just cuts into time I would have spent catching up on the site though and getting out to photograph.

Love the latest additions, the caterpillar is fantastic, so colourful Great capture too of the toad, he looks like a grumpy wee thing LOL. I've tried to get photos of the wagtails too, they never stop moving though and are so small!! We'll keep trying though.

Thanks for your comments, Claire. I love the caterpillar, too. He is such a weird looking thing and really stood out on the purple leaf.

 

[jennyb]

The leaves are changing colour more quickly now and it has become much colder. I am hoping that I won't have to mow the lawn too many more times.

Following the beautiful caterpillar from last week, I photographed his very bland cousin this week. Not sure what it is - it is so nondescript, but they really seem to like the purple leaves.

More fungus is starting to appear with the onset of autumn. This coral fungus was under an elder down by the pond.

I could not get a decent shot of the next one.It was at the base of a tree but did not look good from any angle.

The Nasturtiums are still flowering and give a brilliant splash of colour.

They are so beautifully intricate in the middle that I had to get an insect's eye view.

As usual, comments are welcome.

 

[Cloudforest]

Love the shot of the Coral fungus and the bird's eye view of the Nasturtium.

 

[jennyb]

Love the shot of the Coral fungus and the bird's eye view of the Nasturtium.

Thanks, Pete. They are my two favourites from the week, too.

 

[jennyb]

Nothing special this week in the way of photos. Two reasons - firstly, lack of time and secondly the weather has not exactly been photography weather. It has been very, very gloomy and misty much of the week. Rather like this . . .

The sun did poke through on the odd occasion, though.

The leaves are falling quite quickly now. It will soon be time to start clearing them all up.

The pond also needs a big tidy up.

I have not seen much in the way of wildlife this week - very few animals but still plenty of birds on the feeders.

I hope to have some better shots next week. Surely this gloomy weather can't go on much longer?

 

[Ed Sutton]

There's nothing wrong with grey days. That first picture is very atmospheric.

I bet if you go looking you'll find plenty of fungi to photograph. There are lots springing up around here at the moment.

 

[jennyb]

There's nothing wrong with grey days. That first picture is very atmospheric.

I bet if you go looking you'll find plenty of fungi to photograph. There are lots springing up around here at the moment.

Thanks, Dave. I just get a bit fed up with grey days when there are too many in a row

Yes, there is a quite a lot of fungi but not in particularly good condition (the animals tend to eat them) or in easy locations to photograph. I always keep my eyes open for nice specimens but I think we need a bit more rain to really bring them out.

 

[jennyb]

I am really struggling with this project now. I think I am running out of steam and have to force myself to get the camera out. Anyway, onwards and upwards . . .

It is now November and we have had a few quite significant frosts this week. For the last few years we have had to mow the lawn in November and this year is no exception. The frosts have not yet killed off the flowers either as the first shot illustrates.

I spent some time this week taking autumn colour shots. Everything is looking very bright and colourful.

As Dave @Ed Sutton mentioned, there is lots of fungi around. I think this one is Honey Fungus which is not good news for gardeners.

Finally, when the sun goes down, it throws a beautiful light over the valley which highlights the autumn colours.

The animals are being particularly elusive at the moment. I know they are around because I am finding plants that have been nibbled but they seem only to come when it's dark.

As usual, comments are very welcome.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I wish my photos were as good as your latest ones when I'm struggling, Jenny. I particularly like the second London Plane leaf and the ferns.

 

[Cloudforest]

Beautiful Autumn pictures Jenny. The dahlias provide a much needed source of pollen and nectar for the bees at this time of year.

 

[jennyb]

I wish my photos were as good as your latest ones when I'm struggling, Jenny. I particularly like the second London Plane leaf and the ferns.

Thanks, Dave. I think those two are also my favourites. The Plane leaves are amazing. All the leaves are different colours ranging from green through to yellow, orange and brown. Some leaves are a mixture of all those colours.

 

[jennyb]

Beautiful Autumn pictures Jenny. The dahlias provide a much needed source of pollen and nectar for the bees at this time of year.

Thanks, Pete @Cloudforest . The dahlias are beautiful and I am surprised they survived the frosts. I am going to plant even more next year. They are so colourful and I cut them for the house from July to November every year. But, the best thing about them is that the deer don't eat them!

 

[jennyb]

Still struggling for motivation but at least, when the sun shines, I can persuade myself to go out with the camera.

I did a slide show at my local camera club a couple of weeks ago to show them how I am getting on with the project. The feedback was positive but it was pointed out that I don't have many shots of the actual garden rather than the things in it. So, I am trying to put that right.

The flowers are virtually all gone now after some thick frosts but the main focus is trying to clear the leaves which are falling like rain. Leaf clearing is a major job at this time of year. I mentioned last week that the plane trees leaves are all different colours. I think this shot illustrates that.

This is the task at hand.

OH and myself have been very busy. Annoyed with the OOF leaves in the front of this shot. I did not notice them at the time.

Still lots of leaves left to fall.

Another pond shot so that I can compare the four seasons with shots taken at similar angles.

Finally, more fungi. I am annoyed that I did not do enough gardening around it to remove the extraneous bits of grass before taking the shot. Also, I am not 100% sure about the ID, it is just my best guess. My mycology skills are limited.

The animals are still thin on the ground although I did catch the roe deer doe munching away at the heuchera the other morning when I was opening the curtains. Sadly I did not have the camera handy.

Comments, as usual, welcome.

 

[jennyb]

I think this is starting to become a bit monotonous with so many shots of autumn leaves. But, I am still going to post them because this has been a significant feature of this autumn - the colours. I don't recall such a colourful autumn. The colours are amazing. So here are some more . . .

Bit of lens flare on the next one but I love the long shadows at this time of year.

A few other shots taken this week. Plenty of berries around for the birds.

Annoyed I chopped the edge off the left hand leaf of the next one but the light was good at the time so did not want to reshoot.

Finally, there is still quite a bit of fungi around but not many really good specimens. This club fungus is growing amongst the moss in the grass. Sadly the light was not so good for this one.

I believe the weather is going to deteriorate so I don't think the leaves will be on the trees for much longer. However, we did not get any of the snow that fell in other places in the UK in the last couple of days.

Comments very welcome.